Elbit
Systems contracts from Israel Ministry of Defense to supply military equipment
for $315 million

Elbit
Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE:ESLT) ("Elbit Systems")
announced today that it was awarded various contracts
by the Israel Ministry of Defense ("IMOD"),
in a number of fields of activity for a total value
of approximately $315 million. a
a
Monday, December 31, 2012, 04:00 PM

German
government approves the sale of 30 DINGO 2 4x4 armoured vehicles to Saudi
Arabia

The
German government has given the green light in principle
to sell 30 armoured vehicles Dingo 2 worth about 100
million euros (132 million U.S. dollars) to Saudi
Arabia, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported
on Sunday, December 30, 2012. The newspaper cited
government sources saying that Saudi Aradia could
eventually purchase up 100 Dingo 2 armoured vehicles.
Monday, December 31, 2012, 01:28 PM

Philippines
has signed a contract with South Korea and Italy for military trucks and
helicopters

The
Philippine’s defense chief says the government
has signed separate contracts worth 163 billion pesos
(about $39 million) with Italian and South Korean
companies to supply helicopters and trucks as part
of efforts to modernize its poorly equipped military.
a
Sunday, December 30, 2012, 09:36 AM

Venezuelan
Marine Corps has planned to purchase artillery howitzers and armoured
from China

The
Government of Venezuela has planned to purchase armored
vehicles, self-propelled artillery howitzer and military
equipment from China, but the specific type and quantity
are not yet clear. The expected purchase appears to
correspond, however, with the Venezuelan Marine Corps’
plan to procure $500 million in new weapons and military
equipment.
Saturday, December 29, 2012, 12:40 PM

Army
of Colombia has selected the LAV III 8x8 armoured vehicle for its mechanized
infantry units

Colombia's
government has closed negotiations for the purchase
of a new 8x8 APC (Armoured Pesonnel Carrier) for Mechanized
Infantry Units of Colombian Army. It's the vehicle
LAV III of the Company General Dynamics Land Systems
that has been selected after several tests carried
out last January in Colombia. a
Saturday, December 29, 2012, 11:27 AM

Brazilian
army will continue the upgrade program of its rocket launcher systems
ASTROS

Brazil
wil continue to invest defence budget to upgrade and
modernize its precision strike technologies with the
aim of developing rockets and missiles both for domestic
military use and exports. A budget of $480 million
initial outlay by the Defense Ministry is focused
on updating Avibras' ASTROS, acronym for Artillery
SaTuration ROcket System, which is able to launching
multiple rockets.
Saturday, December 29, 2012, 10:34 AM

Defence
industry of Azerbaijan will produce lot of new weapons in 2013

Azerbaijan’s
Ministry of Defense Industry designed several small
arms this year. Informing APA about new weapons, Azerbaijani
Minister of Defense Industry Yavar Jamalov said that
one of them was a sniper rifle with 7.62x51 caliber
designed in accordance with NATO standards. Shooting
distance of the new sniper rifle is 1000 m, capacity
of charger – 10 cartridges and weight –
7.1 kg.
Friday, December 28, 2012, 01:29 PM

Armenian
army will continue to modernize its armed forces with modern weaponry

The
Armenian military reported “significant”
arms acquisitions in 2012 and said it will continue
to modernize its forces with precision weaponry in
the coming years. “At the beginning of this
year we declared that we have acquired new rocket
systems capable of neutralizing active armor protection
of enemy tanks,” said Artsrun Hovannisian, the
spokesman for Armenia’s Defense Ministry. “This
is just one example new-generation precision-guided
weapons.” Friday, December 28, 2012,
09:58 AM

Russian
army will purchase the new Russian-made sniper rifle 12.7mm Degtyarev
6S8-1 in 2013

The
Russian Defense Ministry will purchase new sniper
rifles next year, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov
said on Wednesday, December 27, 2012. Under the arms
procurement program for 2013, Degtyarev 6S8-1 12.7-mm
rifles will be bought for the Russian Armed Forces
and from 2014 the ministry will start buying Dragunov
7.62-mm, VSS 9-mm and ASVK 12.7-mm rifles, as well
as new optical-electronic sights he said. Thursday,
December 27, 2012, 01:22 PM

Russia
will restart production of railway-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles (ICBM), with prototypes to be deployed
by 2020, a senior Russian defense industry official
said on Wednesday, December 26, 2012. Work has already
begun on the prototypes, which will utilize exclusively
domestically-made components, the official told RIA
Novosti on condition of anonymity.
Thursday, December 27, 2012, 12:36 PM

Government
of Qatar will order seven M142 HIMARS High Mobility Artillery Rocket System
from U.S.

The
United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency
notified Congress December 21,2012, of a possible
Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Qatar for
seven M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket
System) launchers, rocket, missile systems and associated
equipment, parts, training and logistical support
for an estimated cost of $406 million.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 11:15 AM

Saudi
Arabia National Guard ordered 68 MPCV air defense vehicles from French
company Lohr

According
to French financial daily "Les Echos", the
Saudi Arabian National Guard ordered 68 MPCV air defense
vehicles from French company Lohr. Very little information
is avaiblable on this specific vehicle, however Army
Recognition saw it during Eurosatory 2012 back in
June. We are therefore able to provide some details
on this little-known vehicle.Wednesday, December 26, 2012, 10:42 AM

France
ready for military intervention in Mali first half of next year

French
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday, December
24, 2012, expected a possible military intervention
to quash Islamist terrorists in northern Mali during
the first six months of 2013. "The military intervention
would be over the first half next year ... For the
moment, there is no political solution," the
minister told the daily La Croix.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012, 12:58 PM

Russia’s
Southern Military District is now equipped with S-400 air defence missile
system

Russia’s
Southern Military District has moved a step closer
to adopting the new S-400 Triumf air defense missile
systems, the district’s press service confirmed
on Saturday, December 22, 2012. a
a
Sunday, December 23, 2012, 11:25 AM

Field
tests in military conditions for the LS3 Legged Squad Support System four-legged
robot

For
the past two weeks, in the woods of central Virginia
around Fort Pickett, the LS3 Legged Squad Support
System (LS3) four-legged robot has been showing off
its capabilities during field testing.a
a
Saturday, December 22, 2012, 03:48 PM

British
Company Supacat has opened new facility in Australia to produce special
operations vehicle

The
British Company Supacat has opened a vehicle engineering
design and analysis facility in Australia as part
of its contract to produce a special operations vehicle
for the army. Australian Minister for Defense Materiel
Jason Clare officially opened the Melbourne facility,
which employs 18 design, analysis and systems engineering
experts.
Saturday, December 22, 2012, 02:27 PM

Russia
has offered to transfer BMP-3 combat vehicle technology
to India if India cancels its project, an Indian Defense
Ministry source said. This has more sense for India,
as its homemade Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle
(FICV) can be commissioned no earlier than in ten
years’ time.a
Friday, December 21, 2012, 01:26 PM

NATO
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen confirmed
on Friday, December 21, 2012, that the Syrian government
forces were continuing to launch Scud missiles within
the last few days."I can confirm that we have
detected the launch of Scud-type missiles. We strongly
regret that. I consider it act of a desperate regime
approaching collapse," Rasmussen told reporters
at NATO headquarters.
Friday, December 21, 2012, 12:54 PM

UN
Security Council has approved plans for military intervention in Mali

The
UN Security Council has unanimously approved plans
for an African-led military intervention in Mali aimed
at reunifying the embattled North African state. The
resolution, approved in New York on Thursday, December
20, 2012, afternoon, calls for political reconciliation,
elections and the training of the country's security
forces before any operation is launched to reclaim
Mali's northern areas.
Friday, December 21, 2012, 07:51 AM

Government
of Colombia has selected the Oshkosh Sandcat Plasan 4x4 armoured vehicle

The
Government of Colombia has selected the Oshkosh Sandcat
Plasan 4x4 armoured vehicle, as new model of MRAP
(Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) for its armed forces
under a development of strategy plan called "Plan
Meteoro".a
a
Thursday, December 20, 2012, 04:05 PM

Indian
scientists reported the successful test firing Thursday,
December 19, 2012, of the indigenously developed nuclear-capable,
surface-to-surface missile Prithvi-II with a strike
range of 350 km. The Prithvi-II missile was test fired
from a mobile launcher in salvo mode at the launch
site in India's eastern coastal state of Odisha, the
Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting
defense sources.
Thursday, December 20, 2012, 01:50 PM

The
British forces deployed in Afghanistan are to reduce to 5,300 soldiers
by end of 2013

UK
force levels in Afghanistan are to reduce to around
5,200 by the end of 2013, announced Wednesday December
19, 2012, the British Prime Minister. In Parliament,
the Prime Minister said UK forces would shift from
mentoring Afghan troops at battalion level to brigade
level next year. a
Thursday, December 20, 2012, 01:20 PM

Mexico
starts production of first batch of 100 indigenous 4x4 armoured vehicles
DN-XI

The
Military Industry of Mexico and the Mexican Secretariat
of National Defence, have started local production
of the first batch of 100 4x4 armoured vehicles personnel
carrier DN-XI for an amount of $27.1 million. The
DN-XI vehicle was seen for the first time during the
military parade for the celebrations of 202 years
of Mexico independence.
Wednesday , December 19, 2012, 02:06 PM

Russia
will put in service 100 new Topol-M and Yars ballistic missiles by end
of this year

Russian
strategic missile forces will put in service about
100 new Topol-M and Yars missiles by the end of this
year, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday, December
18, 2012. With the deployment, "the share of
modern weapons in the strategic missile forces will
approach 30 percent," ministry spokesman Vadim
Koval told reporters.a
Wednesday , December 19, 2012, 11:43 AM

Rheinmetall
has successfully tested its new 50kW high-energy weapon
technology demonstrator. Conducted at the end of November,
the test encompassed the entire operational sequence
from target detection and tracking to target engagement.
Building on a 123-year heritage, the Düsseldorf,
Germany-based Group has once again made good its claim
to be the global leader in high-energy laser (HEL)
technology. Wednesday, December 19, 2012, 10:17 AM